Vacuum tank



April 26, 1932. C, 5 BURTON 1,855,472

VACUUM TANK Filed Aug. l, 1930 E 3 l I G Z2/Mana?.

/f/es affozy, W15/2er.;

l ffl flange, 10, of

Patented Apr. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VACUUM TANK Original application led April 22, 1929, Serial No. 356,935. Divided ami this application filed August 1,

1930. Serial No. 472,301.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 356,935, filed April 22, 1929 and which "issued in Patent N o. 1,772,535, dated August 12, 1930. The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved construction in a. vacuum tank adapted to obviate a defect which characterizes vacuum tanks in common use deriving from the 'liability of the atmosphere inlet valve to be prevented from effective seating by reason of foreign matter, dust, etc. in the atmosphere becoming lodged on or adherent to the valveseat and seatingiface'of the valve.

A speciiic'purpose of the invention is to obviate this defect in a construction designed to facilitate dispensing with a valve to control the suction connection, by providing means for counterbalancing the suction stress on the atmosphere inlet valve, so that .u the atmosphere inlet port may be made large enough to vmake' comparatlvely negligible the vacuum inthe chamberresulting from continuity of suction when the atmosphere valve is open. The invention consists in the elements and features of construction shown and described as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings: Figure l is a vertical section of a vacuum tank embodying this invention. Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same. `Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing a modification.

Figure 4 is a top plan view in the form shown in Figure 3.

\ `Referring to the drawings in detail: In

both the forms shown the vacuum chamber is seen at A. The outer or main body member constituting the customary fuel reserve chamber is indicated at B. C is a cap which closes both chambers at the top and secures them together by means of an annular stamping, formed Zig-zag in a radial section, lapping and soldering outside the body member, B, and lapping inside the peripheral the cap, C, under a marginal flange, l1, of the chamber, A. The three parts, viz., the annular stamping, D, which is permanently attached to the chamber, A, the chamber, B, and the cap, C, are separably secured together by bolts, 12,witha'suitable packing gasket, 13, interposed for liquidtight junction between the cap, C, and the vacuum chamber, B. Fuel inlet fitting is seen at F. The fuelouaet fitting is seen at G, controlled by valve, g, and a suction connecting fitting is seen at E, having a restricted suction port, c. Atmosphere vent of the chamber, B, is seen at H.

I The cap, C, has an aperture, 20, for receivlng a cup-form stamping, 21, eXteriorly flanged as seen at 21a, at the upper end for securement on the margin of the aperture, 20, and having its bottom provided with an aperture, ",V which constitutes the atmosphere inlet with the seat for the atmosphere inlet valve formed at the margin of Vsaid aperture by the remnant of the bottom ofthe cup constituting an annular inturned flange. 2lb, on which the atmosphere inlet control; ling valve, 22, is seated.

The fuel inlet connection, F, is located immediately adjacent the aperture, 20', and said aperture, and the cup stamping having the atmosphere inlet aperture and inlet valve seat, are encompassed within the tank by a pocket member'7 25, secured to the under side of the cap, C, said pocket having an over-flow aperture, 26, at a level above the seat of the valve, 22.

From this construction it results that the fuel drawn into the chamber from the fuel source by suction due to vacuum in the `chamber is discharged into the pocket and fills the same above the level of the valve seat before it overfiowsthrough the overflow aperture, 26, for filling the vacuum chamber, A. The atmosphere inlet valve is thus certain to be wetted and flushed by the incoming liquid fuel in a manner which will clear it of any solid material, dust particles, and the like, which may enter with the atmosphere.

By this constructionl it will be observed that the atmosphere inlet valve, 22, is caused to be seated exterierly with respect to the chamber, A, so that the suction due to vacuum in the chamber tends to hold said valve seated. For counterbalancing the .suction action on the valve, a portion 0f the enclosure of the chamber, A, consists of a diaphragm', K, closing an aperture, 30, in the cap, C, the diaphragm being mounted on the outer side of the cap by clamping ring, 31, and the diaphragm being provided with a stem, 34, clamped at the cen ter of the diaphragm and extending both above and below the diaphragm, that is, outside and inside the chamber.

The valve, 22, has a stem, 23, extending out through the open mouth of the cup member and obtaining guidance in a spider, 24, mounted on the outer side of the cap, G. The valve and diaphragm stems, 23 and 34, are operatively connected by a lever, 36', fulcrumed'at- 32 ona bracket. 33, mounted upon the upper side of the cap, C, and by this lever connection it will be seen that the suction pull on the diaphragm is opposed to the suction pull on the valve, 22, and the valve and diaphragm having approximately the same effective areas, the two arms of the lever, measuring in each case from the fulcrum to the pivotal connections with the stems of the diaphragm and valve respectively, being approximately equal, the suction is substantially counterbalanced. f

Within the chamber, A, the lower end of the diaphragm stem, 34, is connected to a lever, 35, fulcrumed intermediate its ends on an interior depending` bracket, 33a, carried by the cap, C. To the opposite end of the lever there is pivotally connected for depending therefrom a float guide stem, 37, on which there is mounted for sliding between upper and lower stops, 38 and 39, a float. 40, the float guide stem being itself guided at its lower end in the spider,` 41, provided at the outlet of the chamber, A, and inlet of the fitting, Gr. As illustrated, the lever, 35, is fulcrumed substantially at the middle point of its length so that its two arms counterbalance each other, and the excess of the weight of the stem. 37, over that of the stem, 341, operates to a slight extent upon the diaph'ragm in opposition to the suction, creating a slight overbalance of force for seating the valve, 22. y

Upon considering this construction it may be understood that starting with the apparatus empty and with the vacuum chamber connected by the fitting, E, with a source of suction, as with the intake manifold of the engine. the atmosphere valve. 22. will be normally closed not only by slight overbalance of the weight of the stem. 37, in excess of the stem, 34. but additionally by the operation of the weight of the ioat, 40, which will be resting on the lower stop` 39. rlhe vacuum resulting in the chamber, A, will cause fuel to be lifted from the fuel source and discharged by way ofthe fitting, F, into the trap, 25, filling the same to a depth for submerging the valve, 22. and then overflowing by the port, 26, to fill the chamber, A. Upon the chamber being filledto a depth causing the float to be lifted into contact with the upper stop, 38, the ioat will be there halted until the further rise of liquid level submerges it so as to develop its buoyant value to the slight degree necessary to overcome the excess weight of the lever, 37, and open the atmosphere valve, which is substantially balanced as to suction and independently of the difference in weight of the stems, the .slight hydrostatic pressure of the liquid content of the trap, 25, tending to hold it on its seat, being, however, also taken into account in dimensioning the valve and diaphragm, so that slight buoyant effort of the float beyond what is necessary to pick up the weight of the stem 37 (disregarding the weighted extension of the lever, 36, hereinafter described), will open the valve.

To provide for adjustment to compensate for unfavorable variation in the weight and buoyant value of different Hoats, and similar slight unavoidable dierence in the weight of the stems and lever connections, to insure the proper and necessary and not excessive overbalance for seating the valve, 22, the lever, 36, is extended to the right of its 'connection with the valve stem, 23, and threaded at such extended part for receiving a small weight, 50, which is screwed onto it and may be adjusted to a greater or less distance from the fulcrum to the lever and secured in ad justed position by a set screw, 51.

Upon the valve being opened as above described, 'admitting atmospheric pressure through the atmosphere port which is very large relatively to the suction port, e, the vacuum will be substantially relieved, permitting theV liquid to be discharged through the outlet fitting, G, into the reserve chamber, A, and lowering the float until it is again lodged on the lower stop, 39. The atmosphere valve being open, admits the atmospheric pressure so freely that the suction action on the valve now withdrawn from its seat, is negligible; but the diaphragm is still subject to suction pull inwardly due to the remnant of vacuum which will exist in the chamber with the atmosphere valve wide open, by reason of the uninterrupted suction operating through the restricted but always open suction port, e; and this suction pull on the diaphragm will be rendered adequate to offset and exceed the excess weight of the diaphragm and valve connections operating normally in the direction for seating the valve and to hold the valve open, by making the effective area of the diaphragm slightly greater than that of the valve, as indicated in Figure 2.

The liquid level continuing to fall after the float becomes lodged on the lower stop, 39, causes the float to be de-submerged and to operate by its weight for pulling down thc long arm of the lever, 35, which will cause the atmosphere valve to be seated, lterminating the discharge of the liquid and restoring the initial conditions under which the continuous suction through the suction po-rt, 4, will restore the condition of vacuum in the chamber and cause the same to be reiilled and the entire cycle of operation to be repeated.

In the form shown in Figures 3 and 4, the pocket for trapping liquid to flush the atmosphere inlet valve and its seat is omitted. This omission dispenses with the need of the inwardly projecting cup-form affording the 4atmosphere inlet and atmosphere valve seat, the opening, 20, in the cap constituting the atmosphere inlet and its margin the atmosphere valve seat. The omission of the trap pocket dispenses with the necessity ot' connecting the float with the atmosphere valve and diaphragm-connecting lever by way of the diaphragm stem as in Figures l and 2; and the fioat stem, 37, is accordingly connected directly to the atmosphere valve, 22, and extended thereabove for connection with the lever, 8G, by which the diaphragm and valve are connected for opposing the suction action on the diaphragm to the suction action on the valve.

The operation of this form is in all respects the same as that in the form shown in Figures 1 and 2, except as to the flushing of the atmosphere valve by the liquid trapped in the pocket, 25, or'I Figures l and 2.

I claim:

l. A construction for the purpose indicated comprising a chamber having connection with a source of suction for producing partial vacuum in the chamber, said chamber having a movable wall member exteriorly exposed to atmospheric pressure and having a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, and an atmosphere inlet port; a valve controlling the atmosphere inlet port arranged with respect to said port for opening and closing by movement in the direction of air flow through the port, whereby suction in the chamber tends to move the valve relatively to its seat; operating connections between theV movable wall member and the valve arranged Jfor opposing to each other the suction action on the valve and wall member respectively, and means operated by a change of level ot the liquid content of the chamber for opening and closing the valve at predetermined high and low levels respectively of saidA liquid content, the movable wall member andV the valve and the operating connections between them being dimensioned and arranged for substantially equalizing the opposed actions, and va weight carried by said operating connections arranged tor affording overbalance ot force acting on the valve in the direction tor seating it.

2. A construction ter the purpose indicated comprising a chamber having connection with a source of suction Jfor producing partial vacuum in the chamber, said chamber having a movable wall member enteriorly exposed to atmospheric pressure and having a liquid'inlet, a liquid outlet, and `an atmospheric inlet port; a valve controlling the atmosphere inlet port Varranged with respect to said port for opening and closing by movement in the direction of air l'low through the port, whereby suction in the chamber tends to move the valve relatively to its seat; operating connections between the movable wall member and the valve arranged for opposing to each other the suction action on the valve and wall member respectively, and means operated by a change of level of the liquid content ot the chamber for opening and closing the valve at predetermined high and low levels respectively of said liquid content, the movable wall member and the valve and the operating connections between them being dimensioned and arranged for substantially equalizing the opposed actions, the atmosphere inlet controlling valve being arranged for seating exteriorly of the port which it controls, whereby suction in the chamber tends to seat it.

8. A construction for the purpose indicated comprising a chamber having connection with a source of suction for producing partial vacuum in the chamber, said chamber having a movable wall member eXteriorly exposed to atmospheric pressure and having a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, and an atmosphere inlet port; a valve controlling the atmosphere inlet port arranged with respect to said port for opening and closing by movement in the direction of air flow through the port, whereby suction in the chamber tends to move the valve relatively to its seat; operating connections between the movable wall member and the valve arranged for opposing to each other the suction action on the valve and wall member respectively, and means operated by a change of level in the liquid content of the chamber for opening and closing the valve at predetermined high and low levels respectively ot said liquid content, the construction comprising a plurality of means for rendering the pressure for seating the atmosphere inlet valve in excess of the action of suction for opening it, at least one of said means being eXteriorly accessible for manual operation to adjust said excess pressure.

4. A construction for the purpose indicated comprising a chamber having connection with a source of suction for producing partial vacuum in the chamber, said chamber having a movable wall member exteriorly eX- posed to atmospheric pressure and having a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, and an atmosphere inlet port; a valve controlling the atmosphere inlet port arranged with respect to said port for opening and closing by movement in the direction of air flow through the port, whereby suction in the chamber tends te move the valve relatively to its seat; operating connections between the movable wall member and the valve arranged for opposing to each other the suction action on the valve and Wall member respectively, and means operated by a chang-e of level of the liquid content of the chamber for opening and closing the valve at predetermined high and low levels respectively of said liquid content, the operating connections between the atmosphere inlet controlling valve and the movable Wall member being mounted exteu riorly of the chamber, and means for rendering the pressure for seating` the valve in excess of the action of suction for opening it associated with said exteriorly situated con nections, whereby the same may be accessible for manual adjustment to modify said excess.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 31st day of July, 1930.

CHARLES S. BURTON. 

